The nurse is caring for a group of clients who are experiencing pain. Which client is the priority for the nurse to see first?

  • a client with dull abdominal pain and constipation
  • a client complaining of pain 6/10 due to sickle cell crisis
  • a client with severe chest pain experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (MI)
  • a client who had a laparoscopic appendectomy yesterday with mild incision pain
Number 3 is correct.
The client experiencing the MI should be seen first, as this is a potentially life-threatening event. The client with dull abdominal pain and constipation should be seen and his pain assessed, but this is not as urgent as the client experiencing an MI. Pain due to sickle cell crisis must be addressed as soon as possible, but the client with an MI takes priority. The client with mild incision pain from a laparoscopic appendectomy needs to be assessed, but the client with an MI takes priority. When prioritizing care for multiple clients in pain, the nurse should first consider pain caused by a potentially life-threatening event before seeing other clients.